Tag: Biology

Your Animal Spirit forAugust 29: The Black Swan

Your Animal Spirit for Today
August 29, 2012

Black Swan

Wherever the Black Swan appears in your reading you can expect unexpected and unpredictable events to majorly impact your life in that aspect.  Beyond noting that the influences Black Swan indicates will be extraordinarily large in scope, it may be difficult to tell if the fortune it foretells will be good or bad.  Black Swan affected events may begin so subtly that they are very difficult to identify.  When trying to discover what the Black Swan portends for you, look for events that do not occur in your life regularly or at all.

Herb of the Day for August 23 – Bayberry

Bayberry

Botanical Names

  • Family Myricaceae
  • Myrica cerifera (Bayberry, Southern/American Bayberry, Wax Myrtle, Candleberry, Tallow Shrub, Vegetable Tallow, Waxberry, Myrica)
  • Myrica gale (Sweet Gale, Bog Myrtle, Dutch Myrtle, Bayberry)

Cautions

  • The volatile oil is considered toxic, and mixing plant extracts with beer (as practised during the Middle Ages) is said to lead to manic episodes.
  • Do not use during pregnancy.

Description

Bayberry is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing to about thirty feet, producing narrow, glossy, aromatic leaves, small, yellow flowers in catkins and gray, waxy berries that contain numerous blacks seeds that have a crust of usable greenish-white wax. This wax helps keep the seeds suitable for germination for up to three years. Bayberry is found in the eastern and southern regions of Canada and the US, especially around Lake Erie, and as far west as Texas. The bark is collected in autumn or spring.

Sweet Gale is a deciduous shrub that grows to about ten or fifteen feet. Both the branches and the leaves have tiny, fragrant glands that produce an aroma when crushed. Sweet Gale is indigenous to the higher latitudes of the northern hemisphere.

History

European settlers in North America believed that bayberry plants had many medicinal benefits. A 1737 account stated that it could “expel wind and ease all manner of pains proceeding from cold, therefore are good in colic, palsies, convulsions, epilepsies, and many other disorders.”

The root bark was listed in the US National Formulary from 1916 to 1936.

Its nicknames came as a result of its wax being used to make candles or in place of tallow.

The Mohegans used the tea to treat kidney disorders. Other tribes used bayberry to treat influenza, scurvy, stomach cramps, and gynecological problems.

Key Actions

  • astringent
  • antibacterial
  • diaphoretic
  • stimulant
  • vermifuge (bark)

Key Components

  • volatile oil
  • tannins
  • resins
  • flavonoids
  • triterpenes (including taraxerol, taraxerone, and myricadiol)
  • phenols
  • gums
  • vitamins and minerals(mainly selenium, calcium, chromium, iron, manganese, sodium, and vitamin C)

Medicinal Parts

  • Root bark and wax from the berries (Bayberry).
  • Leaves, branches, and wax extracted from the flower catkins (Sweet Gale).
  • While myricadiol has a mild effect on the potassium and sodium levels, myricitrin has antibiotic properties.

Remedies

  • Strong decoctions of the dried bark is used in Sweden to expel intestinal worms.
  • Infusions are used as a mouthwash to strengthen spongy gums.
  • Douche, from infusions, is used to treat excessive vaginal discharge.
  • Gargles are used for sore throats.
  • A paste of the powdered root bark can be applied to ulcers and skin sores.

Traditional Uses

Bayberry is commonly used to increase circulation, stimulate perspiration, strengthen local resistance to infection, and to keep bacterial infections in check.

Infusions of the dried bark are used to treat colds, flu, coughs, and sore throats, and to dry mucous membranes. Its astringency helps such intestinal disorders as irritable bowel syndrome and mucous colitis.

Because of its antimicrobial properties, a wash made from the root bark is effective in treating skin infections, skin diseases, and ulcers.

Your Animal Spirit for Wednesday, August 22 – The Butterfly

Your Animal Spirit for Today
August 22, 2012

 

Butterfly

Beautiful butterfly has fluttered into your reading to remind you of the powerful transformational energies at work in your life. If something important seems to be stagnating, know that transformation is at work just below the surface—and just like the caterpillar, the “cocooned” situation you’re fretting about is about to be freed.

Calendar of the Sun for August 17

Calendar of the Sun

17 Weodmonath

Day of the Sacred Grove

Color: Green
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon a green cloth patterned with leaves, place many tree branches. In front of the altar should be one or more potted saplings to be planted.
Offerings: Plant trees, on your own or other property.
Daily Meal: Vegan

Invocation to the Trees

(Call and Response)

We call you Birch, first of the trees to stride into the field!
We call you Rowan, chaser of demons!
We call you Ash, avatar of the World Tree!
We call you Alder, tree of widely spreading fire!
We call you Hawthorn, May-tree of Beltane!
We call you Willow, tree of the moon on the river!
We call you Oak, lightning-magnet, tree of the Iron Wood!
We call you Holly, with leaves like spear-points!
We call you Hazel, with nuts that give inspiration!
We call you Grapevine, autumn’s harvest!
We call you Ivy, with your magical embrace!
We call you Reed, soldier of the wetlands!
We call you Elder, healing-tree of the grandmothers!
We call you Silver Fir, living green in the coldest snow!
We call you Aspen, tossing tree of the winds!
We call you Yew, tree that watches over the denizens of graveyards!
We call you Elm, first woman of the North!
We call you Whitethorn, guide on the path!
We call you Blackthorn, adversary who tests our mettle!
We call you Spindle-Tree, turning on the lathe!
We call you Guelder Rose, ripe with red fruit!
We call you Sycamore, beloved of Lady Death!
We call you Apple, fragrant blossoms of the Isle of Avalon,
And we ask for your blessing upon our lives.

(Pots of blessed tea are carried out to the woods and orchards, and poured at the roots of the most honored trees. All should touch the branches for a blessing.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Your Animal Spirit for August 16th: The Crow

Your Animal Spirit for Today
August 16, 2012

The Crow

Crow is always on the alert for trouble—and their loud caws! warn each other of  impending danger, Very little escapes Crow’s keen vision—which is why many cultures associate Crow with the keeper of knowledge. Crow has flapped his way into your life today to bring a message of watchfulness—have you built your nest high enough to really understand what’s going on around you?

Please forgive me for running late……

Good Morning, dearest of friends! I must apologize for running late. My mouse died this morning on me. I had to drive 50 miles to get another one. That’s what I get for living in the boonies, lol! It’s not funny I know. I have done buried my mouse, I threw it in the garbage on the way out the door. Needless to say, I uttered some words that wasn’t very nice to give it a proper send off. If I had had time I would have blew it up with a firecracker. I’m not violent, I just hate to be inconvenienced, lol!

So now on with the show…..

More Sorry Comments

Yew (Aprox. December 21)

YEW LORE

•Tree of the day before the Winter Solstice (Aprox. December 21)
•Latin name: Taxus baccata.
•Celtic name: Idho (pronounced: Ih’ huh).
•Folk or Common names: English Yew.
•Parts Used: Needles, wood, berries.
•Herbal usage: CAUTION – THIS PLANT IS POISONOUS AND SHOULD BE USED WITH CAUTION. The needles and branch tips have been used to treat lung diseases and bladder problems. recently a new cancer drug, Taxol, has been derived from its bark and berries.
•Magical History & Associations: The name “Yew” is a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon word ‘eow’. The word ‘Taxus’ is from the Greek word ‘Taxon’, meaning ‘bow’. The 5000 year old “Ice Man”, discovered in the Alps, had a bow and axe handle made of Yew. The Yew is known as the ‘Tree of Death’ through out Europe and is associated with the season of winter. It is sacred to many Dark Goddesses: Banbha, Amalthea (mother of the horned Dionysus), Morrighan, The Erinyes, Cailleach Beara, Berchta, and Hekate. Shakespeare recognized the relationship of Yew and Heckate and referred to the contents of her cauldron as “slips of yew, silver’d in the moon’s eclipse…” (Macbeth) – and elsewhere Shakespeare makes ‘hebenon, the double-fatal yew’ the poison which Hamlet’s uncle pours into the king’s ear. Heckate’s sacred tree of death is said to root in the mouths of the dead and release their souls, and also absorbs the odors of death itself. Bulls are associated with this tree, as are female goats. The bird associated with Yew is the eaglet, since the eaglet’s appetite is insatiable, and the bones of its nest are white like the snow on its cliff-ledge. The Yews colors are white and silver and it is associated with the element of water. The Yew is associated with the planet Saturn and with the metal lead. In Old England the Yew was known as “The Witches Tree” since it is associated with sorcery and magick.
•Magickal usage: The time of Yew is known as a time of death, and so on the day before Yule it said that is not a good idea to do actual spell work, instead it is suggested to do rituals of the season concerned with reincarnation. Because the Yew grows to such an old age, it has become a symbol of stability in Celtic areas of the world and so is often used as the central “World Tree” in ritual spaces. As one of the three magickal trees (along the Alder and the Black Poplar) associated with death and funerals, the Yew has often been planted in graveyards. Yew sends up new trees from its roots, so is a powerful symbol of death and reincarnation. Yew wood is appropriate for magickal tools such as wands and staves. In ancient times Yew sticks were carved with the Ogham characters as tools of divination. The Futhark features a 13th Rune, which is considered one of the most powerful Runes and represents a stave cut from a yew tree. This Rune is regarded as the stave of life and death. Yew can be dried and burned as an incense to contact spirits of the dead – and even to raise the dead.

Reed (Oct 28 – Nov 24)

REED LORE

  • 12th Moon of the Celtic Year – (Oct 28 – Nov 24)
  • Latin name: Latin name: American Elm – ulmus americana; European Elm – ulmus procera; slippery Elm – ulmus fulva.
  • Celtic name: Negetal (pronounced: nyettle).
  • Folk or Common names: In Britain where the Reed tree is the dwarf elm, it is called the Water-Elder, Whitten, or rose Petal. Since I use the immature Elm  tree in place of the Reed tree, the Elm is usually known as Elm, and sometimes Piss-Elm (due to the smell it makes while being burned as a green wood).
  • Parts Used: Bark, leaves, wood.
  • Herbal usage: The Elm has many medicinal uses. Slippery Elm bark can be powdered and made into a milk for babied that can’t tolerate cow’s milk.  In fact slippery Elm bark is good for many purposes. In tea it can ease insomnia and sooth an upset tummy. It is also useful for enemas and makes good  poultice material. This type of poultice can be used on wounds, infections, ulcers, burns, and poison ivy.
  • Magical History & Associations: The birds associated with the month of Reed are the owl and goose, the color is grass green, and the gemstone is  clear green jasper. Symbols of this Celtic month are The White Hound, The Stone, the Planet Pluto (Pwyll), The Fire Feast of Samhain Dis, Pwyll, and Arawn.  Identified with the submerged or hidden dryad, The Month of Reed represents the mysteries of death. In fact the Fire Feast of Samhain celebrates the dead and  on Samhain, the boundary between the Otherworld and this world dissolve. It is a night of great divination. Or in another fashion, it represents the hidden  roots to all life. The Month of Reed is associated with being both a savior and custodian. Pwyll, the Celtic ruler of the Otherworld was given “The  Stone” , one of four treasures given to him for safekeeping. The Stone represents the right of the kings and queen to have divine power. Thus the Reed  is also the symbol of Royalty. The White Hounds represent the dogs that guard the lunar mysteries. The Elm tree is a tree of Saturn and is associated with  the element of earth. It is sacred to Odin, Hoenin and Lodr. The elm is also associated with the day of Tuesday.
  • Magickal usage: The month of Elm / Reed is a good month for using music in magick, especially music made by bagpipes and flutes, and also for doing  divination. Elm is sometimes said to symbolize the dark side of the psyche and so can be used in psychic workings. The Elm is commonly known as “the elf  friend”. If you desire to have contact with wood elves, pick a grove of Elm trees and sit under them and sing. Around about dawn, the elves will have  gotten over their initial shyness and come out to join in the singing. Elm trees are also thought to provide a channel for the communication with divas. To  get an Elm tree to help you in this quest, offerings can be brought to a favorite tree and left. The best offerings are wine, mead, tobacco, coins and sage.  Tiny twigs of Elm can be worn in a bag around a child’s neck as a charm to produce eloquent speech in later life. Elm wood may be bound with a yellow  cord and burned to prevent gossip. The Elm represents primordial female powers and therefore the Elm is a tree with great protective qualities. The wood from  the Elm can be made into talismans and charms that can be worn for protection. The Elm also has the qualities of regeneration, boldness and fidelity, and so  added to its protective qualities, it is excellent when given as a good luck token to departing friends. Using Elm is spellwork adds stability to the spell.  According to Edain McCoy in her article: Willow for love, Oak for strength (97 Llewellyn Magickal Almanac) a tea can be made for the month of Reed that  includes a pinch of slippery Elm:REED MOON TEA – Fertility, love, protection.

    1 part red clover         1 part hyssop         1 part boneset         pinch of slippery elm

    **Note: Please be very, VERY careful when taking this teas! These are powerful herbs, meant to be used by more or less experienced herbalists and    witches. Boneset is toxic in large doses or if taken over long period of time. To use, put in a tea ball and steep for 5 or 6 minutes.

Willow (Apr 15 – May 12)

WILLOW LORE

  • 5th Moon of the Celtic Year – (April 15 – May 12)
  • Latin name: Weeping Willow: salix babylonica; black Willow: salix nigra
  • Celtic name: Saille (Sahl’ yeh)
  • Folk or Common names: Willow, Witch’s Tree, Pussy Willow, Salicyn Willow, Saille, Sally, Withe, Withy, Witches’ Aspirin, Tree of Enchantment,  Osier, Tarvos Tree, and Sough Tree. The Anglo-Saxon ‘welig’ from where the name ‘willow’ is derived, means ‘pliancy’.
  • Parts Used: Bark, sap, twigs, branches, wood.
  • Herbal usage: The bark of the Willow has been used as a pain killer… the bark contains a glusoside called salicin that forms salicylylous acid which is  the ‘active ingredient’ in aspirin. The bark has astringic qualities and can be used for rheumatic conditions, heartburn and as a diuretic. The sap  gathered from the tree when it is flowering can be used to treat facial blemishes and dandruff.
  • Magical History & Associations: The bird associated with this month is the hawk, the color is haze, and the gemstone is blood-red carbuncle. The  Willow, a Feminine herb, is associated with water, and is an herb of the moon. The bird associated with this month is the hawk, the color is haze, and the  gemstone is blood-red carbuncle. The Willow is associated with water, and is an herb of the moon. Willow wood is one of the nine traditional firewoods to be  added to the Belfire that is burned at Beltane – as the tree of death that is Sacred to Hecate, Willow is added to the fire as a celebration of death. The  Willow is sacred to Minerva who invented numbers and also to Artemis, Ceres, Persephone, Brigid, Hera, Helice, Mercury, Belili, and Circe. The Sumerian  goddess Belili was a goddess of trees, and Willows in particular. The Willow is also associated with Orpheus, regarded by the Creeks as the most celebrated  of poets. It is said that Orpheus received his gifts of eloquence and communication by carrying Willow branches on his journey through the Underworld. A  bas-relief in a temple at Delphi portrays Orpheus leaning against a Willow tree, touching its branches. Pagan associations with the Willow have always been  strong, for they are often revered as trees of the MoonGoddess, she who reflects her moon magic upon the waters of Earth. Willow was often the tree most  sought by the village wise-woman, since it has so many medicinal properties, and eventually the Willow’s healing and religious qualities became one and  the tree became called ‘witch’s tree’. The Willow is also associated with the fey. The wind in the Willows is the whisperings of a fairy in the  ear of a poet. It is also said that Willow trees can uproot themselves and stalk travelers at night, muttering at them.
  • Magickal usage: The Willow has applications in magick done for enchantment, wishing, romantic love, healing, protection, fertility, magick for women,  death, femininity, love, divination, friendship, joy, love, and peace. Placed in homes, Willow branches protect against evil and malign sorcery. Carried,  Willow wood will give bravery, dexterity, and help one overcome the fear of death. If you knock on a Willow tree (knock on wood) this will avert evil. A  Willow tree growing near a home will protect it from danger (I know this to be true. When the tornado hit our farm, the only reason we only lost part of the  roof, rather than the whole house, was because the grove of Willows around the house protected us. Our poor Willows got pretty battered by the storm, lost  most of their leaves and quite a few branches, but have recovered fully now!). Willows are also a good tree to plant around cemeteries and also for lining  burial graves for its symbolism of death and protection. Willows can be used in rituals for intuition, knowledge, gentle nurturing, and will elucidate the  feminine qualities of both men and women. If a person needs to get something off their chest or to share a secret, if they confess to a Willow, their secret  will be trapped. Also, wishes are granted by a Willow tree if they are asked for in the correct manner. Willow leaves, bark and wood add energy to healing  magick, and burning a mix of Willow bark and sandalwood during the waning moon can help to conjure spirits. Uses of Willow in love talismans include using  the leaves to attract love. Willow leaves or twigs can also be used in spells to create loyalty, make friendship pacts, treaties, or alliances. A rejected  lover can wear Willow as a charm to win back the love. To determine if you will be married in the new year:”Throw your shoe high up         into the branches of a Willow tree;         If the branches catch and hold the shoe,         you soon will married be.”

    Willows have many uses to Witches, the most common is that the wood is used to make wands for moon magick. Willow wands can also be used to dowse    for water (underground), earth energies, and buried objects. (The Witch should be careful to ask for the tree’s blessings before taking a branch to    make a wand.) The supple long ending branches of the Willow make good weaving materials to use to weave circlets and wreaths. Willow wood is good for    making magical harps.

Alder (Mar 18 – Apr 14)

ALDER LORE

  • 4th Moon of the Celtic Year – (March 18 – April 14)
  • Latin name: Smooth Alder – alnus serrulata.
  • Celtic name: Fearn (pronounced: fair un).
  • Folk or Common names: Alder, Gummy/Gluey (European), Rugose/wrinkly (Tag), Tree of the Fairies.
  • Parts Used: Parts Used: Branches, wood, bark, leaves.
  • Herbal usage: Alder is in the hazelnut family and was used by Native Americans as a medicinal plant. Tea can be made from bark and is useful in treating  diarrhea, coughs, toothaches and the discomfort of childbirth. A potion made from the bark can also be used externally as an eye wash or for a wash for  poison ivy, swellings and sprains.
  • Magical History & Associations: The birds associated with this month are the raven, the crow and the gull; the colors are crimson, green-brown and  royal purple; the day is Saturday; and the gemstone is fire-garnet. The Alder, a Masculine herb, is associated with the element of fire, and the planet of  Venus. The Alder is sacred to Bran the Blessed and Cronos (Saturn). Alder is also sacred to Faery kings and elf kings – from the word Alder comes elder (not  the tree) as in ‘elder’ kings. The Fey of the Alder have been described as water spirits or as “Dark Faeries”. They are very protective of  the tree and when they leave their trees, this Faerie will take the form of a Raven. In tree Folk-lore, the Alder is known as the tree of fire – In the  battle of the trees, the Alder fought in the very front line. It is described as the very “battle witch” of all woods, the tree that is hottest in  the fight.
  • Magickal usage: The month of Alder is a good time to do magick designed to celebrate the connection and tie between all women, and the mother-daughter  bond. The Alder has applications in magick done for spiritual decisions, duty, prophecy, oracular strength, intelligence, mental prowess, resurrection, air  magic, water magic, strength, spirituality, teaching, weather magick, and protection from outside forces. Alder leaves or twigs can be carried in a pouch to  act as a protection charm and as a powerful force in psychic battles. Ash talismans or charms can also be carried to aid in the preservation of ideas. The  Alder is known as the “fairy’s tree” in Celtic lore, so is good for fairy magic. The faeries are said to like to dance under the trees when  they are flowering. Carrying Alder twigs or flowers acts as a charm for communicating with the fey. Alder is often used in resurrection magic and also used  in building/construction magic. Alder wood is often called the “wood of the witches”. Whistles may be made of out of young shoots to entice Air  elemental spirits. This gives a Witch the ability to summon, control and banish elementals or the four winds. It is also the ideal wood for making the  magical pipes and flutes for use in magickal ceremonies. Alder produces a red dye from the bark, a green dye from the flowers and a brown dye from its twigs.  Some Witches use these dyes in coloring ritual garb with the red dye signifying fire, the green dye: water, and the brown dye: earth. While the Witch is  dying her robes, she should say:”These leaves from trees, these herbs and flowers,         Make holy with your living powers         Raise the power! Bestow the magick!         Set earth’s seal upon my magick!”

    When harvesting bark or leaves from the Alder, remember to ask the tree if it will allow you to take the    parts and be sure to leave the tree an offering of thanks when you are done. To prepare Alder wood for use, beat the bark away with a willow stick while    projecting your wishes into it.

Quiz of the Day – Which Spirit Keeper do You Need?

Quiz: Which Spirit Keeper do You Need?

by Annie B. Bond

 

Native American traditions speak of four powers, or Spirit Keepers,  associated with the four directions, animals, colors, and qualities, that may be  honored and invoked, celebrated and worked with in order to bring ourselves into  better balance with What Is.

Take this simple quiz to see which Native American Spirit Keeper would be  most helpful to you now:

Look at the following sets of three statements. Which set of three is most  true for you?

A1. I long for a sense of renewal and quickening in my life.

2. I desire more clarity.

3. I feel that increased intelligence, intensity, and purity would be helpful  to me now.

B1. I long for transformation in my life.

2. I desire to be more grounded.

3. I feel that increased endurance, stability, and introspection would be  helpful to me now.

C1. I long for illumination.

2. I desire a sense of awakening and newness.

3. I feel that increased Light, spirituality, and far-sightedness would be  helpful to me now.

D1. I long for discovery in my life.

2. I desire a sense of unfolding and organic growth.

3. I feel that increased vitality, intuition and awareness of feelings would  be helpful to me now.

If you chose A, you need the Power of the North. Animal: Buffalo Color: White The Power of the North clarifies the mind and purifies our  mental being.

If you chose B, you need the Power of the West. Animal: Grizzly Bear Color: Black The Power of the West activates the intelligence of the  physical body and enables it to work with the material substances that  constitute our flesh, blood and bones.

If you chose C, you need the Power of the East. Animal: Eagle Color:  Yellow The Power of the East enables us to be enlightened with sudden  flashes of inspiration and understanding through our innermost “self,” which is  the noblest aspect of our total being.

If you chose D, you need the Power of the South. Animal: Mouse Color:  Red The Power of the South empowers and strengthens the intuitive “self.”

Spend some time facing or contemplating the direction you chose. Connect with  those qualities within you. You may want to petition the power animal of that  direction to help and guide you.

 

Daily OM for July 10 – The Unseen World

The Unseen World

What We Can’t See

by Madisyn Taylor

 

Exploring the unseen world can be well worth your while as there are many gifts awaiting you there.

 

Just because we can’t see something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, although this is a common way in which people deny the existence of spirit guides, angels, and other unseen helpers in our lives. However, anyone who has encountered such beings can attest to the fact that they do, indeed, exist, just as our breath exists, keeping us alive, even though we can’t see it. The wind exists, too, but we only know this because we feel it on our skin and hear it moving the leaves on the trees. All around us and within us are things we can’t see, and yet we know they are just as real as the grass beneath our feet.

What we see and don’t see may just be a matter of perspective, like the ladybug who sees the leaf on which she sits, but not the tree the leaf grows on, or the person sitting beneath it. And the person beneath the tree may or may not see the ladybug, depending on where he focuses his attention. Still, all of these things, whether seen or not seen by the person or the ladybug, exist in reality. Some people are more gifted at accessing that which we cannot see, but given an open and willing heart, anyone can tune into the invisible realm and begin to find their way.

Human beings have always done this, and it is only recently that we have fallen into distrusting the existence of what we can’t see. If you have lost touch with the unseen world, all you have to do is resolve to open your heart to its existence, and it will make itself known. Closing your eyes in meditation and visualization, or engaging the unseen through the written word, are just two ways to welcome the invisible back into your life. Whatever you choose to do, cultivating a relationship with that which you can’t see is a time-honored human practice that can greatly enhance your life.

Elder’s Meditation of the Day June 6

“We need to save those Elders who cannot speak for themselves — the trees.”

–Haida Gwaii, Traditional Circle of Elders

The trees are the Elders of the Earth. Go to the forest or to the mountains and find a young tree. Then find and old tree. Spend time with each. Sit by the young tree and listen to your thoughts. Then move to an old tree and listen to your thoughts again. Just being in the presence of an old tree, you will feel more calm. Your thoughts will contain wisdom and your answers will be deeper. Why is this so? These old trees know more, have heard more and are the Elders of the Earth. We must ensure these trees live so we can learn from them.

My Creator, help me to protect the trees and listen to them.

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A Charm To Turn Aside Evil And Ill Fortune

A Charm To Turn Aside Evil And Ill Fortune

 
The mountain ash or rowan tree has long been honored for its power against evil forces. It should ever be treated with respect, that its favor be not turned against the one who employs its strength. In late summer, when the tree is heavy with red fruit (the yellow variety is of a weaker influence), seek out one branch that leans toward the south, and shake it gently until it shall let fall four berries. Gather these up, and also take four of the leaves, carry all indoors, and soon build a fire of good birch or apple wood upon your hearth. When the blaze is ripe and golden, cast one of the rowan berries into the flames, along with one of the leaves, saying this:
 
Virtue is mine, as of this tree
Beware the fire I cast at thee
 
Cast in the second berry, and a leaf, saying:
 
Wisdom is mine, as of this tree
Beware the fire I cast at thee
 
Cast in the third, both berry and leaf, saying:
 
Power is mine, as of this tree
Beware the fire I cast at thee
 
Take then the fourth leaf and fruit, and roast them slowly in an iron pot over the fire until they are dried and blackened. Cool them, and wrap their remains in a red cloth, which charm should soon be buried in the Earth near your threshold. Thus it shall protect the house and those who dwell therein from whatever evil emanations might dare to stray too near.
 
Crone’s Book Of Charms & Spells
Valerie Worth
ISBN 1-56718-811-7

May 11 – Daily Feast

May 11 – Daily Feast

Honeybees that relied on early flowers in the garden can now feast all across the meadows. Red clover, honey locust trees, and rose-colored Indian paintbrush abound in clusters to feed the bees and give peace to the eye. An evening chorus of field sparrows trills in the wheat field and a nesting killdeer demands privacy by doing her broken-wing act to sidetrack walkers. The whole meadow teems with activity until dusk – and then a silence pervades, only to be broken by the throaty voice of the tree toad. It is common knowledge among the Cherokee that every animal, except man, knows the main business of life is to enjoy it, and he, the Cherokee, sides with nature.

~ Seed time is here but your grounds have not been prepared for planting. Go back and plant the summer’s crop. ~

KEOKUK, 1832

‘A Cherokee Feast of Days’, by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

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Elder’s Meditation of the Day April 12

Elder’s Meditation of the Day April 12

“Dissimilar things were fitted together to make something beautiful and whole.”

–Nippawanock, ARAPAHOE

Sometimes we look at something close up and it appears to be ugly; but then we drop back and look at it as a whole and it is beautiful. If we look at an insect close up, it may be ugly, but if we drop back and look at the whole insect it becomes beautiful. We can drop back even more and observe what its role and purpose is, and the insect becomes even more beautiful and whole. How are we looking at ourselves? Are we focused on something ugly about ourselves, or are we dropping back and looking at ourselves as a whole? We all have purpose, and we are all beautiful.

Grandfather, today, let me see the beauty of the whole

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April 8 – Daily Feast

April 8 – Daily Feast

It seems only yesterday when the first cold wind blew in and laid flat the wild rose and turned the canes gray. Leaves turned and dropped. Snows fell and drifted. Winter threatened to last forever. But it didn’t. Spring runs in and out like a child opening and slamming a door just to irritate us. The birds are flirting and meadows abound with baby calves in their first days. It is a time of change – not only in nature but in us. We enjoy that breaking point between late winter and early spring. In our mind’s eye we know where the wild phlox will spread its fragrance and the oxeye daisies will crowd the narrow path. It is with the same eye that we see ourselves blooming with health and prospering beyond our dreams. Only those who walk under a cloud miss the joy of this time, the open meadows and greening hills.

~ Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam, where the deer and the antelope play….Where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day. ~

ANONYMOUS

‘A Cherokee Feast of Days’, by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

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March 28 – Daily Feast

March 28 – Daily Feast

Few sounds in nature are harsh. Even the rolling thunder that rumbles across the sky has solemn beauty. The wind makes whistles in the treetops and wild birds warble like rivulets of water that make harps among the shallows. The frenzied crash and blare come from man. The woods comfort with their sounds. A tiny yellow warbler with black wings sits in the redbud tree and makes the sound of an astral flute, a clear call for peace and harmony. If the bird wants a tranquil place – how much more we need it. A wet-weather spring feeds the ground from beneath, giving ferns moisture and life. In the rainy season the water flows and the delicate fronds mingle with the water creating a swishing sound. Surely we can absorb the serenity to heal and soothe our souls.

~ Creator of the world, Maker of all men; Lord of lords, my eyes fail me…..for the sole desire to know thee. ~

INCA HYMN

‘A Cherokee Feast of Days’, by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

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Today’s Affirmation, Thought & Meditation for March 7th

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Today’s Affirmation for March 7th

I pray for spirit to revive my heart, to spark it with a relish for service. I hope that my desire to be a flame of love will spark other stalled souls to come alive, aflame with love themselves.

 

Thought for March 7th

The days are of most profit to him who acts in love.

Traditional Jainist saying

 

Today’s Meditation for March 7th

The Blueprint for Life

DNA is a complex molecule containing the genetic information needed to build, control and maintain a living organism. It is found in all living cells and is the blueprint of life DNA forms a double helix – a shape like a twisted ladder. Imagine standing at the bottom of your DNA ladder. In your mind begin to climb. On the first rung sense your connection with your parents, each of whom bequeathed to you copies of half of their DNA. On the next rung sense your connection with your grandparents, and on the next your great-grandparents. In this way trace your roots back through generations of ancestors to the very first human. Feel a sense of continuity through the ages and your connection to everybody on Earth.

Dragonfly

Dragonfly eggs are laid within their territory near the water. Once hatched, these nymphs will live nearly two years on the bottom of streams and ponds. As they reach adulthood an amazing thing occurs, they transform into dragonflies and ascend to the air. In the air, they travel with wings that sparkle with spectacular colors by reflecting and refracting light and other colors. No insect or bird can maneuver as well as a dragonfly. Flying up to 30 mph, they will twist, turn, move up and down, fly backwards, even change directions instantaneously and still will spot movement 40 feet away.
The power of Dragonfly lies in its ability to see around things by looking from different angles. Using its ability to transform colors and lights by reflecting and refracting them, Dragonfly shows us that life, like light, can bend, shift, and adapt in various ways, making life’s appearance never be what it appears to be. Dragonfly’s magic shows us to see through life’s illusions and find our true vision. It calls us to transform within our lives and reminds us to feel deeply so we will have the compassion necessary to help ourselves and others.